(The history of the Confederate
vessels which, despite great obstacles, made themselves the terror and
the scourge of the merchant marine of the United states, and forced her
powerful navy to treat them with respect, would form a most interesting
chapter in the true story of our great struggle. The career of the "Stonewall"
was a glorious one, and our readers will thank us for the interesting narrative
of the gallant captain Page. In presenting this blurred picture of the
"Stonewall," its imperfections should be attributed more to the shortcomings
of the artist than to the absence of intrinsic worth in the subject represented.)The "Stonewall,"a small twin
screw ironclad man of war, was built in France by the then most eminent
constructor in the Empire. Her tonnage, twelve hundred; armament, one
three hundred pounder and two seventy pounder guns, and crew about forty
men.Thus equipped, this little craft was seen one
fair morning, after much negotiation, bearing
the beautiful Confederate flag in place
of the Danish, under which she had arrived from the region of the North
sea. She was built with the knowledge and sanction of the late Emperor
of France, and on the eve of her completion and readiness for delivery
it was rumored that she was designed for the Confederate Government. Every
ship then being built in Europe acquired this reputation. This rumor reached
the ears of the Emperor, and he was officially informed, from high authority,
that if this or any other such vessel should be permitted to leave France
and fall into the possession of the Confederate Government, Mexico would
be made untenable ground for French troops. However impotent such a threat
may have been at that time, it had the desired effect. The Emperor was
truly sensitive on this Mexican question. His policy there was unpopular
in France, and he was not the man to long debate which of the two to choose
when compliance with his word pointed to the right and self interest to
the left.He ran no risk in laying an injunction on his
friend and ship builder, that no vessels, under his construction, should
pass into the hands of the Confederate Government. Whatever may have been
his sentiments individually, policy constrained him to consult those of
the French people, who may not have comprehended his aim and object in
measures of such remote bearing. He had been challenged to a game of "brag,"
in which he was not proficient. Astute, sagacious, far seeing as he was,
he could not see into his adversary's hand -- he was bluffed -- he revoked
the permission he had given the constructor.A similar diplomatic game had already been
successfully played in England, in the case of the "Berkenhead rams" --
as two vessels built on the Mersey were called; for a like issue had been
made on the charge that they were designed for the Confederate Government.
Had all the vessels charged to the Confederate account so actually belonged,
that Government would have been the most formidable of all naval powers.This case could not be so summarily disposed
of in England, where all questions involving the rights of the people had
been up to this time invariably adjudicated and decided according to law
-- the English people being preeminently conservative and law-abiding.
This case was adjudicated, and all the powers of Government brought to
the investigation in order to establish the charge that these vessels were
built for the Confederate Government. The prosecution exerted a degree
of energy unparalleled in the accumulation of evidence from every hole
and corner; for there were consequences involved in the decision so momentous
as not to be weighed in the balance with tens of millions of pounds sterling,
or any other sum of money -- the life of a nation was at stake.Notwithstanding the disposition on the part of
the Government, the earnest hope that the investigations of the Attorney
General would discover evidence to sustain the charge, that learned jurist,
after a laborious search, was obliged to report that there was no evidence
to show that the "Berkenhead rams" were built for the Confederate
Government. This was too important a measure to be given up because the
law was impotent, or even after the failure of the desperate efforts that
had been resorted to. It was a case of life or death. If the law were not
strong enough, some other course must be adopted. A threat was made --
it would be a "causus belli" if the vessels in question should come into
the possession of the Confederate Government. Impotent as was this threat,
it prevailed. The Government succumbed, did what had never before been
done -- violate their own laws and take peaceable possession of the vessels;
that the law could not condemn -- the surest course by which to satisfy
the complainants. This occurred previously to the action of the French
Emperor -- in the case before mentioned -- an example he conceived worthy
of his following. The "Stonewall"had not, at this
time, been baptized with the ever memorable name she subsequently bore,
for she was not then a Confederate vessel; and, after much circumlocution,
fell into the hands of the Danish Government, at the time, be it remembered,
while Prussia and Austria were at war with Denmark. How this occurred is
not pertinent to this narrative. We can only conjecture that Prussian spies
were not so "wide awake" as had been some other detectives. She was
taken to Copenhagen under the direction of Danish naval officers, in
order to witness and test her capacity as a "sea going" vessel. Her performance
in the North sea somewhat dampened the ardor of these hardy seamen of the
North, for they looked upon her as being more of the amphibian kind than
of that class of vessels in which they had been accustomed to navigate
the ocean.It is true she had no very great respect for
the heavy waves of the sea -- she defied them -- and if they did not permit
her to gracefully ride over, she would go through them -- protruding her
long elephantine proboscis as the seas receded; and, rising from her almost
submerged condition, would shake the torrent from her deck and again walk
the water like a thing of life. She was
not so dangerous. She was dangerous only when coming in conflict with one
of her own kind; and even in this respect her reputation subsequently grew
to vast proportions -- far exceeding her capacity to do damage.Arrived in Copenhagen, the report as to
her sea worthiness was not favorable. Her good qualities were ignored,
and her disposition to act the part of the leviathan exaggerated. Moreover,
the war in which Denmark was engaged was speedily brought to a close and
the services of such a vessel were no longer required. In a word, that
Government wished to get rid of her; and after much discussion, deliberation,
investigation, &c., as to compliance with contract, it was finally
determined to return the little craft to the builders. Their agent
received her, and under charge of a Danish merchant Captain and crew, she
was dispatched to France.Before leaving port a Confederate navy officer,
who was curiously interested in all such naval architecture, had been often
on board and inspected the vessel throughout -- her armament, gun gear,
projectiles, naval stores, &c. -- for in her construction, equipment,
&c., she was quite unique.Pleased
with the appearance of the vessel and all on board, he accepted the invitation
of the builder's agent and took passage in her for France.
She had scarcely got fairly into the North sea when the weather, always
boisterous in those latitudes in the winter season, became so bad that
the captain conceived it prudent to put into Christiansand in Norway. Time
was precious -- for there were pressing obligations pending. Moreover,
the captain and crew were to be discharged after the lapse of a limited
time. Under these circumstances, the passenger, Mr. Brown, whose
status on board was known only to the captain, urged him to "put to sea"
on the least abatement of the gale. They
had been out in blue water only a few hours when the vessel began to exhibit
her powers of diving and coming up, after the fashion of the porpoise,
as if for the amusement of all on board.
But the engineers and crew, not amused by these fantastic tricks, as they
were neither ducks nor fish, petitioned the captain to "put back" into
port. He, quite of their opinion, proposed the same to Mr. Brown; but the
latter, though in a minority of one, declined to accede to the proposition
of the majority -- the rule of the sea being the reverse of that
on land under republican government -- and expressing his entire
confidence in the "sea worthiness" of the vessel, advised the captain to
assure the engineers that turning back was always attended with danger;
that there was bad luck in it; that the only danger lay in stopping the
engines; that, in a word, the safety of the vessel and all on board depended
entirely on the continuous movement of the engine, and the watchful care
of it by the engineers.She weathered that gale
and arrived off the coast of France in clear weather and a smooth sea,
where -- a very singular coincidence -- a steamer had taken up her anchorage,
as though there had been some pre concerted arrangement for their meeting,
for this was neither a port nor harbor. The agent of the builders, who
had been up to this time the ostensible owner of the vessel, concluding
it would be as well for him to land on the nearest point of the coast,
took his departure, accompanied by the captain and crew, and went on shore,
indulging the pleasing remembrance of an adventurous passage from the North
sea, and the still more pleasing anticipation of the fruitful results he
was about to realize.This procedure would seem inhospitable and unkind
towards the little craft that had borne them safely through the tempestuous
weather of the North sea, thus to be left with one solitary man on board.
But she had not long to remain in this unpeopled state. Boats came,
crowded with men, from the steamer that lay close by, not only curious
to see, but, perhaps, to minister to the wants of the little craft in her
deserted condition and to offer their services which sailor men are prompt
to render when duty calls; for "old salts" are proverbially kind, and will
often risk their lives in an adventure. It turned out, however, that these
visitors were not actuated solely by curiosity, for they consisted of officers
and sailors prepared to cast their lot, to do their duty, under the Confederate
flag, come weal or woe.The "spar deck" of the vessel presented, on that
bright, sunny morn, a busy scene. The Confederate
flag was "run up" at the peak, and the pennant at the main mast head,
when the commander, surrounded by the little band of officers and men,
with caps in hand, pointed to the pure emblem at her peak, the token of
the nationality of the vessel, and announced her "The Stonewall"
-- ever to be remembered name, given at the baptismal font of the
Bay of Biscay.Certain preliminaries, the "shipping" of men,
assignment to specific duties, &c., having been gone through with,
the deck was soon cleared of the various articles, so generously presented
and as gratefully received from the steamer in company, which, having been
stowed in their appropriate places, all was made snug for the cruise. The
anchor was "hove up" under the inspiration of that joyous music, familiar
to every sailor man, when the "boatswain calls all hands up anchor for
home"; for that is music, though it comes from nature's roughest cut,
whose melody touches the soul and causes a responsive vibration of the
tenderest chords of the heart.The Bay of Biscay, whose normal condition
is that of a boisterous sea, lay like a mirror, reflecting the bright rays
of the sun; while balmy air, fanned into the gentlest of breezes by the
"headway" of the vessel, promised a happy entrance into the broad Atlantic.
"Man proposes but God disposes."
The night was not half spent ere the wind blew and the storm arose, and
at the dawn of day the Stonewall was contending against a gale and heavy
sea, well calculated to test the sea worthiness of the little craft, and
try the faith of the stoutest heart in her capacity to weather the storm.
"Battened down," she was "water tight," and, although she was no "Mother
Cary's chicken" to gracefully dance on the crest of waves, would, in
her lazy way, receive them over her bows, in cataract form, and give
them free exit through the quarter ports to their mother ocean. Romantic
as this may seem, though not comparable to the grandeur of the Falls of
Niagara, it was neither exhilarating nor agreeable; for, apart from these
too frequent and overwhelming visitations, the officers and men began to
look upon them as an imposition, in compelling them to appear on deck booted
up to the knee. This round of amusement continued for three days to the
monotonous music of the howling of the storm, and the contention of the
sea with the skies; when the Stonewall's friend -- the steamer
that had befriended her at the anchorage, and now anxiously watched her
performance in this terrific gale, in order to render other assistance
if needed -- telegraphed or signaled to know "how she was getting on";
for at times when the Stonewall would be in the trough of
the sea, partly submerged, there could be nothing seen of her. Knowing
that her friend had some other important duty to discharge, with a heavy
heart she replied, "all right, go ahead." The steamer went on her way;
in her construction she was better constituted to resist the gale.Only a few hours had elapsed when it was discovered
that all was not right, that water was flowing into the captain's cabin
from "abaft" in a very unusual manner; and, although men were set to bailing
with buckets, the water gained on them. The storeroom for the men's clothing
and other purser's effects was "abaft" the cabin, whence came the water.
On opening this apartment a very discomforting spectacle met the eye. The
caps over the two "rudder heads" were, by the force of the sea, as the
Stonewall would occasionally dive beneath, being gradually
lifted, the bolts yielding to the pressure, and the water gushing in every
direction with great force. Had these blocks been suddenly lifted from
their places there would have been opened two holes of ten inches diameter
each below the water line, apertures well calculated to endanger the safety
of the vessel. A temporary repair was soon made by malling the blocks into
their places, and the rush of water partially arrested.This disaster rendered it necessary to "put
into" the nearest port for repairs; although the great consumption
of coals would alone have caused this course to be taken, as but little
headway had been or could be made "in the face" of such a gale. No observations
for determining the geographical position of the vessel had been made for
more than two days. The sun, moon and stars -- those beacons by which the
mariner shapes his course mid the trackless ocean -- were obscured by the
lurid clouds that spanned the firmament. With exhausted bunkers and paralyzed
engine the Stonewall would have been a prey to the raging
storm; she was not capable of contending under sail alone against a severe
gale. To run the risk of being wrecked on the iron bound coast of Spain
should the hoped for port not be reached, was preferable to being swamped
in the Bay of Biscay. From the best data available under the circumstances,
an imaginary position was assigned the vessel and a course determined upon,
which it was hoped would lead into some safe anchorage; for any port in
a storm is a sailor's snug harbor.Trusting to "that little cherub that sits
up aloft and keeps watch on poor Jack," the helm was "put hard up,"
the close reefed fore topsail "sheeted home," and the little craft
went off before the wind like a thing of life and proudly said to the foaming
seas, "follow me." They did follow, as though frantic to get on board,
but however given to taking them in over the bows, the Stonewall refused
them admittance over the stern. To "scud " so small an ironclad so little
above the water's edge was a dangerous evolution, but necessity makes its
own laws, and this was one of those cases in which success proved the propriety
of adopting the exceptional rule.The coast of Spain lay ahead, but what
part of it was the doubtful question soon to be solved. The pulsations
of every heart beat quickly, and every eye was anxiously strained to descry,
midst the obscurity of the atmosphere, the crescent shaped contour of the
coast, in which lay the port hoped for. Not more joyously did the cry
of "land ho!" find an echo in the hearts of Columbus' crew, than it
did in the hearts of the Stonewall's on this occasion, when
the anxiously looked for haven was seen directly ahead. None but the wearied
mariner, after days of doubtful contest with the angry elements, can appreciate
such deliverance from the dangers of the sea. This was the happy lot of
the Stonewall, as she steamed into the snug harbor, leaving
the raging of the gale behind, and dropped anchor in the placid, hospitable
waters of Ferrol.The usual visits of ceremony were made,
and on calling on the Captain General, who was an "old salt" holding
the rank of Admiral, the character of the Stonewall was
stated, and the object of her visit to have certain repairs made and to
procure a supply of coals. Permission was politely granted, and authority
to employ such hands from the dock yard as might be required.Ferrol is one of Spain's principal naval stations.
I should not pass over the admission of the Stonewall into
this port without expressing the obligation under which she lay for this
very courteous, hospitable reception at the hands of the Captain General
and others, of which there remains a pleasing remembrance not soon to be
forgotten. Ship carpenters were immediately at work repairing damages,
and at the same time a supply of coals was being taken on board. These
operations had scarcely gotten fairly under way when it became known that
there were other difficulties and dangers than those she had just escaped
that beset the Stonewall. The
intelligence of her arrival was not to be confined to Ferrol.
There were here, as in every other part of Europe, curious gentlemen, whose
avocation was to find out other people's business. The wires soon flashed
the news of this arrival, under a novel flag, to the American Minister
at Madrid, who forthwith protested to that Government that the admission
of such a vessel -- a pirate, an enemy to all mankind, a reckless rover
of the sea -- was an infringement of international law, a violation of
the rights of nations, and that the Government should eject her from that
port and prohibit her entering another, though she might go to the bottom
-- the only port the hospitalities of which she was entitled to. Now, it
had been supposed that this unpretending little craft had come into the
world all right; had been baptized in accordance with the strictest tenets
of received public creed, and that she did not come under that class designated
by such harsh epithets. She was aware that she was not exempt, in the eyes
of some, from the imputation of having been conceived in sin, but, as she
had been baptized in the purest of salt water, she intended to take upon
herself the responsibilities of her sponsors, to strive hard to do her
duty, and to this end she had sought while in distress the hospitable haven
of Ferrol.When a grave complaint is laid before a Government
by a foreign minister, it is supposed to be actuated by important considerations
and sustained by truthful arguments, in accordance with the dignity of
the high position from which such complaint issues. It necessarily commands
that respectful consideration demanded by international courtesy. The Government
at Madrid was unwilling to believe that their trusted official,
the Captain General, had been delinquent in the discharge of the important
duties assigned him, but it became necessary that they should be officially
advised as to the status of this stranger in the port of Ferrol, thus denounced
by such authority as a pirate and all the rest of it, for the pride of
the nation would be compromised in extending hospitality to such an enemy
to mankind.The Captain General was therefore required to
furnish the Government with positive evidence as to the nationality
of the Stonewall. There was no difficulty in doing this.
The commanding officer's presence was requested at the office of the Captain
General; the information required by the Government stated, with the pleasing
assurance that he was satisfied as to the status of the Stonewall;
but inasmuch as the American minister had officially made grave charges
against the vessel, it became the duty of the Government to place themselves
in a position to rebut such charges, if erroneously made; or, if true,
to withhold their national hospitality. The required evidence was at hand.
The commanding officer presented his commission, showing the authority
under which he acted, and the evidence that he was no pirate, nor was the
vessel under his command a lawless rover of the sea. He went farther, in
order to satisfy the inquiry of the Government -- he exhibited a document,
bearing the signature of authority -- "his instructions" -- stating what
the Captain General, an Admiral in the Spanish navy, very readily appreciated,
"that his instructions were for his guidance solely, and that he would
be recreant to his trust were he to submit them to the perusal of another."
The Admiral considered the evidence sufficient to satisfy the requirements
of his Government, and transmitted the same to Madrid. Orders came
to permit the continuance of the repairs that had been suspended.It is eminently proper here to state the ground
on which rested the nationality, not only of the Stonewall,
but of every other Confederate man of war, because it was not an uncommon
assertion in high places, and eagerly embraced in some quarters, that inasmuch
as these vessels under the Confederate flag had been neither built,
nor fitted out, nor commissioned in some Confederate port, they were not,
in view of international requirements, men of war; and consequently not
entitled to the hospitality usually accorded to belligerents in neutral
ports. It is sufficient to set at rest all quibbling as to the legal status
of the Stonewall, to quote a few extracts from the very many
authorities on this point, as laid down in the "British Counter Case" before
the "Geneva Convention," and sustained by learned writers on international
law: "Where either belligerent is a community or body of persons not recognized
by the neutral power as constituting a sovereign state, commissions issued
by such belligerent are recognized as acts emanating, not indeed from a
sovereign government, but from a person or persons exercising de facto
in relation to the war, the powers of a sovereign government."Public ships of war in the service of a belligerent,
entering the ports or waters of a neutral, are, by the practice of nations,
exempt from the jurisdiction of a neutral power. To withdraw or refuse
to recognize this exemption without previous notice, or without such notice
to exert or attempt to exert jurisdiction over any such vessel, would be
a violation of a common understanding which all nations are bound by good
faith to respect."A vessel becomes a public ship of war by
being armed and commissioned -- that is
to say, formally invested by order or under
the authority of a government with the character of a ship employed in
its naval service, and forming part of its marine, for purposes of war.
There are no general rules which prescribe how, when or in what form the
commissioning must be effected, so as to impress on the vessel the character
of a public ship of war. What is essential is that the appointment of a
designated officer to the charge and command of a ship likewise designated,
be made by the Government or the proper department of it, or under authority
delegated by the government or department, and that the charge and command
of the ship be taken by the officer so appointed. Customarily,
a ship is held to be commissioned when a commissioned officer appointed
to her has gone on board of her and hoisted the colors appropriated to
the military marines."The doctrine set forth in the above extracts
clearly and incontrovertibly establish the claim of the Stonewall
to the right and title of a Confederate man of war.
This claim was immediately recognized by the Government at Madrid,
so soon as counter representation was presented, and that international
comity usually extended to belligerents was not denied the Stonewall. Neither
was it withheld from the powerful man of war "Niagara," for she too had
put into Ferrol, not "crippled" nor in want of repairs, but simply
to pay a visit, to enjoy the hospitalities of the port, or, as was said,
to look after the Stonewall. On the same errand arrived the man of war
steamer "Sacramento" in the port of Corunna, situated in the same crescent
of the coast and distant from the entrances to Ferrol only a few
miles; so near that the departure of a vessel from the latter would be
seen from the former.The telegraph wires had been brought into requisition,
and these two powerful men of war summoned to seek out and arrest the mad
career of this "rebel rover." They found her, but what then? If actuated
simply by curiosity to see and learn something of this novel specimen of
naval architecture, their subsequent course would indicate that they had
become perfectly satisfied. The Niagara, after remaining a day or two in
Ferrol, got under way and proceeded to Corunna, where both she and
the Sacramento remained until after the departure of the Stonewall.
This was assumed as prima facie evidence that they designed to attack the
Stonewall immediately on her leaving Ferrol and having
got beyond Spanish jurisdiction. Had the Niagara remained in Ferrol,
she could not, under the international rule, have sailed until the lapse
of twenty four hours after the sailing of the Stonewall;
but from Corunna she could have sailed on the same day and hour, for every
movement of this little vessel was promptly telegraphed to the Niagara.That this procedure is inadmissible in public
law is clearly laid down by publicists, and that the international hospitality
of the port of Corunna was in this instance violated is clearly deducible
from the recognized doctrine as to the treatment of belligerents in neutral
ports. It cannot be doubted that the Niagara and Sacramento, while
lying in the port of Corunna, were making that neutral port a "base
of naval operations" -- a point of departure -- where they lay in wait
for and whence they designed to issue and attack the Stonewall
on her going to sea.This is clearly prohibited
to belligerents, and a violation of the hospitalities usually extended
by the neutral power to the vessel in distress.
These two men of war had not "put into port" wanting either repairs or
provisions. A striking instance of the argument of "meum and tuum" is here
illustrated. It was urged upon the Government at Madrid to eject
the Stonewall from the port of Ferrol without repairs,
without coal or provisions; while the Niagara and Sacramento, wanting neither,
were not only to enjoy the hospitalities of the very near port, but be
permitted to make that port a "base of naval operations." It seemed, however,
that the "bases" was not suited to the "operations" for which these vessels
had been summoned.The repairs had been finally completed, the Stonewall"stripped" to lower masts and "standing rigging," in order that neither
spars nor running rigging, if shot away, should entangle her propellers
-- when the commanding officer called to make his acknowledgments to the
Captain -- General and others; for the hospitalities extended in the work
of making her again seaworthy. It was kindly suggested, in view of the
great odds against her, that the Stonewall should avail herself
of the obscurity of the night to make her escape from the superior force
supposed to be lying in wait in Corunna. The suggestion was the
prompting of gallant, generous spirits, who invariably sympathize with
the weaker party in all conflicts. It was gratefully acknowledged, but
the Stonewall had been built to fight not to run --
especially in this case, where the pursuer would have the speed of two
to one of the pursued. Her boats, save one at the stern, had been sent
on shore, lest they should obstruct the free use of the after guns in time
of action, for if sunk or captured the boats of her kind friends would
be amply sufficient to rescue from a watery grave those who might be on
the surface. The gallant spirits on board of the Stonewall
were not dismayed in the face of this superior force; but
trusting in the Omnipotent Ruler, and in the justice of the cause represented
by that emblem at the "peak," they were of one mind to do their duty.
The small sum of Government money on hand was sent on shore, and the officers
sent, each one, his watch -- a memento of his last gallant deeds -- to
some dear relative.One bright spring morning, after the men had
broken their fast, the Stonewall "put to sea," to face the
momentous ordeal awaiting her, as it was supposed. She was followed
by a very imposing Spanish frigate, whose object -- doubtless coupled
with a little curiosity to witness a fight -- was to see that in
the impending conflict between the belligerents there should be no violation
of Spanish territory. A few minutes only served to put them both in blue
water. Doubtless the anticipations of the frigate's officers were wrought
to the highest pitch of interesting excitement; but they were destined
to disappointment. When the Stonewall had passed beyond the "marine league"
from the Spanish coast, the frigate fired a gun, from which the inference
was that she had got beyond Spanish jurisdiction. Assuming an imaginary
line between the headlands of the crescent formed coast, the Stonewall
"stood" on that line, to and fro, taking care not to approach either headland
within three marine miles. The Niagara and Sacramento, lying in Corunna,
were plainly in sight, with "steam up" and issuing from the steam pipe.The sloping sides of the mountains, both north
and south, presented a beautiful panoramic spectacle. Curiosity
had led thousands of persons from both Corunna and Ferrol, as on some gala
occasion, to assemble on these mountain slopes to witness the anticipated
conduct; but they, too, were destined to disappointment, and as the day
waned, convinced that no performance would come off, they retired to their
homes, as it was reported, giving vent to their feelings in no measured
terms, against those actors who were to come from Corunna and without whom
there could be no performance.The dinner hour of the crew had come, while the
Stonewall "stood" on the line she had taken back and forth,
her screws slowly revolving, seeming to think there was a screw loose in
Corunna. The men had been at "quarters" - - that is, at their several stations
in time of action -- for some hours since an early breakfast, sitting,
standing, walking by the side of their respective guns, chatting in low
tones among themselves as cheerfully as though they were going into some
home port. They ate their dinner at "quarters," for the distance between
the Stonewall and her anxiously looked for friends from Corunna
was too short to admit of the usual formalities of a set dinner. They imagined
that after the settlement of the "slight unpleasantness," should any of
them happen to "turn up" alive, they would be invited to a more formal
dinner on board of the Niagara or Sacramento.Thus passed the day, in hopeless anticipation.
The spectators on the mountain side had disappeared, and the Spanish frigate,
seeing there would be no violation to Her Majesty's territory, had returned
to Ferrol while the Stonewall, at the close of the
day, abandoning all hopes of meeting her fellow travelers of the sea, for
they evidently desired none of her company, stood on her course for Lisbon.
It became necessary to "put into" this port, though so near, because the
Stonewall had taken on board in Ferrol only a limited
quantity of coals. This was done in order to enable her to carry the "4'
bow gun" as high as possible above the sea, and thereby be more efficient.
She conceived the chances of victory greatly against her, and that she
would not require coals if captured or sent to the bottom.Arrived in Lisbon, and while in the act
of taking on board a supply of coals, the Stonewall was honored
with an official visit, the object of which was to ascertain when she was
going to sea. The tone and nervous manner accompanying this inquiry were
strongly indicative of an earnest desire that she should leave the port
without delay. This Portuguese reception, in contrast with that of the
Spanish, was very striking. The official was given to understand that
the Stonewall had availed herself of the hospitalities of
Lisbon only with the view of procuring coals, and that if he would kindly
expedite the delivery of them on board she would hasten her departure.
The truth was the authorities on shore had received information of the
sailing of the Niagara and Sacramento from Corunna, and, doubtless, the
phantom of a naval engagement in the Tagus floated before their eyes. Before
the setting of the sun on that mild, calm day, these two men of war appeared
off the entrance to the port. This, in no small degree, added to the nervousness
on shore. It had certainly the appearance, if not confirmation strong,
of a pursuit, and seemed as though these vessels had not seen enough of
the Stonewall. But this idea was dispelled by their coming
into the port and anchoring. By so doing they subjected themselves to
the international rule prohibiting them from leaving the port until the
lapse of twenty four hours after the departure of the Stonewall.
The weather was good, the sea was. smooth, and it was argued that if they
desired to meet the Stonewall in action they would have remained
outside. Perhaps the weather was too good, the sea too smooth -- conditions
most favorable to the Stonewall, for in a heavy sea she could
not have fought her guns at all, while the Niagara could have not only
fought her but, towering above, could have run over her, provided
she had not run "afoul" of her most salient point, the spur at the bow.
It is not, however, my purpose to express an opinion as to how the Stonewall
might have been destroyed.The coaling of the vessel was not finished until
after the night had set in, when the pilot of the port refused to take
her out to sea, as he did not consider it safe to attempt doing so. Although
the quiet of the night, for all was calm and still, had not brought peaceful
rest to the slumbers of the Lisbon officials while these belligerents lay
in their port, relief came at early dawn when they saw this troublesome
little craft turn her bow towards the ocean and proceed down the river.
On passing the Niagara and Sacramento (they had anchored about a mile below),
the commander of the Stonewall was pleased to see on the
"quarter deck" of the Niagara his quondam shipmate and friend, bearing
the rank of commodore. They had cruised in the West Indies on board
of the same ship, the "old Erie," when one was "sailing master," the
other a "green midshipman." This midshipman, ere the end of the cruise,
had seen some service, had passed some dangers during the three years spent
in those boisterous latitudes. When the "Erie" was visited by that dire
disease, the yellow fever, it pervaded the ship from cabin to forecastle,
striking down the captain, most of the officers and forty of her crew in
the course of a few days. The captain, ere he became too ill, gave this
midshipman orders, with the appointment of an "acting lieutenant," to take
the ship into Norfolk. This was safely done after a stormy passage, and
anchoring off the navy hospital the sick were sent on shore. It
may be asked, what this little episode has to do with the Stonewall? Nothing,
save that this midshipman, after the lapse of years, became the commander
of the craft whose short life and shortcomings are here treated of.Taking an unceremonious leave of her friends
lying quietly in the Tagus, for they seemed to think her unworthy their
steel, the Stonewall stood out to sea, touched at
Tanariffe, the most eligible point from which to cross the Atlantic,
and filling up with coals, shaped her course so as to reach the latitude
of the "trade winds" in the shortest possible time, where her sails would
come into requisition. It was advisable to avail of those winds in order
to economize coals, as she could not carry enough to steam the whole way
across. It was also important to have enough on board for the emergency
of "falling in" with any of those cruisers that it was supposed were keeping
a sharp lookout for her. But the lookout could not have been very much
on the alert, inasmuch as no man of war was seen throughout the entire
passage to Havana, although the conclusion was inevitable that she
must call either at Bermuda or Nassau to replenish her bunkers.
That her departure from Lisbon was speedily made known in the United States
cannot admit of a doubt. Her arrival at Ferrol had been made the
subject of diplomatic correspondence with the Government at Madrid, and
before her departure from Lisbon she was honored with a visit from a gentleman
attached to the American Legation at Madrid, who availed himself
of the privilege granted all persons wishing to visit the vessel, but omitted
the observance of the usual courtesies on such occasions and presented
his card at the "gang way" from his boat, only when in the act of going
on shore in company with many other visitors. He doubtless satisfied his
curiosity, saw all that he cared to see, perhaps little more, for there
was nothing to conceal on board of the Stonewall, and boasted on shore
of the gallantry of his conduct; though it was closely akin to that of
a spy -- a character recognized by the laws of war as entitled, if caught,
to hanging; but the dignity of his position should have deterred him from
the commission of an act of vulgarity. There was a low bravado in boasting
of the accomplishment of a design in which there could be no detection,
unbecoming the office he held and the gentleman he assumed to be. His acquaintance
would, doubtless, have been politely acknowledged by the commanding officer,
and quarters suited to his rank assigned him. On the slow, monotonous
passage across the Atlantic, nothing worthy of note occurred, save
the appearance of a clipper built bark, bound from Baltimore to Rio de
Janeiro, laden with flour She was under all sail, going rapidly through
the water, with a free wind. There is but one object, either in nature
or art, given to the eyes of man to behold more beautiful than the ship
under "full sail." The French flag was
hoisted at the "peak" of the Stonewall, and immediately the
American flag was shown by the bark. When she had come within a suitable
distance, the French flag was hauled down, the Confederate hoisted in its
place, and a "nine inch " shell thrown across her bow. The music of such
a projectile, flying through the air with ignited fuse, is not that of
the Aeolian harp. With "flowing sheets," the bark "came up into wind" as
gracefully as are the movements of the swan when gliding through the waters
of a placid lake. Here was presented an unpleasant conflict of duty and
inclination. To destroy such a craft was repulsive; and yet duty might
demand it. The commander of the Stonewall
would gladly avail himself of a justifiable excuse to avoid such an alternative.
The captain of the bark was brought on board. His troubled appearance may
be more easily imagined than described. In great anguish he declared that
he had been in that trade many years, and this was the first time he had
brought his wife and little daughter with him. Here was an appeal that
added to the embarrassment of the situation, not easily disregarded. TheStonewall had no accommodations for such passengers,
and moreover this was not the kind of game she was in pursuit of. The captain
of the bark was given to understand that a bond would be required of him
for the release of his vessel, and that he should assure his owners they
were indebted solely to his wife and daughter for the rescue of their vessel
and cargo from the flames. A heavier oppression was never lifted from the
human breast, and his countenance beamed with all the kindly feelings the
human heart is susceptible of. He begged that he might be allowed to present
to the Stonewall some of the luxuries with which his pantry
was supplied. His offer was gratefully acknowledged, but declined. The
bark went on her way rejoicing, and theStonewall pursued
her course to Nassau, a convenient port at which to procure coals.She did not enter the harbor, but received the
coals outside -- an unpleasant indication, for there were rumors on shore,
though not authentic, which made the Stonewall an unwelcome
visitor. She was permitted to take on board coals sufficient for the passage
to Havana.Arrived at Havana, the usual visits of ceremony
made, the vessel was admitted to the customary hospitalities of the port,
with no limitation as to the time she would be permitted to remain.Mark the difference of the Stonewall's reception here
and that at Nassau! The sad intelligence here received, which I need
not describe, was not to be questioned, and the feelings of both officers
and men may be imagined, but not expressed.The little craft that had so bravely breasted
the storms of tempestuous seas, to do her duty in a holy cause, found herself
a useless hulk, an encumbrance.The political state of affairs in the Confederacy
had not been as yet officially announced to the authorities of Cuba.
When that shall have been done, the Stonewall would no longer be entitled
to the flag she so proudly bore off Ferrol.Negotiations were entered into with the authorities
of Havana, which resulted in the acceptance of the Stonewall as
a present, subject to the decision of the Queen of Spain. By the
terms of the agreement, there was advanced to the Stonewall
the sum of $16,000 in order to pay the officers and crew what was due them,
as set forth in the books of the paymaster. A much larger sum would have
been advanced, and was suggested, but her commander was in honor bound
to the crew for the payment of what was due them -- the vessel being fully
responsible -- and he would receive nothing more.An Admiral, with his attendant staff of officers,
came on board to formally receive the Stonewall. The delicacy
and courtesy of this distinguished officer on this occasion will ever be
remembered. He appreciated the painful position of the commanding officer,
and before proceeding to the details involved, remarked to him, "My barge
is at your service, and Captain will attend you to the arsenal, and thence
to your quarters on shore." Officials of some governments would have avoided
a Confederate officer at that time as they would have done a contagious
pestilence. Captain performed the duty assigned him with all that
courtesy for which the Spanish race has ever been preeminently distinguished.Thus terminated the career of the Stonewall
under the Confederate flag.What was her ultimate fate? It is said she came
into the possession of the United States Government, was
sold to the Japanese Government, and was
wrecked during a severe typhoon while lying at anchor. It may be
proper to mention as a pertinent episode in the last days of the Stonewall,
that among the arrivals which soon followed her into Havana was
an imposing looking American man of war steamer. She anchored only a very
short distance off. One morning a letter was handed to the commander of
the Stonewall, which bore the signature of an old acquaintance
-- the captain of the man of war close by. The purport of this communication
was suggesting the propriety of surrender of the Stonewall
to him. Its receipt was promptly acknowledged, and although its kind suggestions
were fully appreciated, they were politely declined.The Stonewall was in a position
to present herself to the Captain General, or, through him, to the Queen
of Spain; but she was not the craft to surrender on demand or solicitation.